I am afraid to speak out for these same reasons; I am just more afraid not to, and I hope I can reach some of the thousands who read but choose not to comment for their own mental health preservation.

So I’ll say these things that others tell me they are also thinking but afraid to say publicly:

You have never spoken out against antisemitism. Never.

You have spoken up in defense of every conceivable minority, except the one that is 0.2% of the world and has been hated for the entirety of our existence.

You leave no room for Jews to speak out against antisemitism.

If we do, we are accused of being apologists for the horrific bombing of Gaza and the Netanyahu government.

You do not allow for the belief that the State of Israel has the right to exist to be held along with the belief that the current Israeli government is horrendous.

But during the Trump years, you never called for the destruction of the United States nor held every American in the world responsible for the actions of the Trump government.

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You have not advocated for Palestinians during the last 17 years of the brutal Hamas dictatorship.

NOW you suddenly find compassion for Palestinians due to the horrific Israeli assault on Gaza.

But where have you been while Hamas refused elections, shut down freedom of expression, and summarily executed queers?

Many of you are doctors.

Do you understand that many Jews now wonder whether you will neglect proper care for them or even let them die on your operating table intentionally?

When you embrace the viral meme that “the students always turn out to be right,” you get angry at the reminder that the Nazis systematically engaged students, teachers, professors, and other intellectuals in their priming of the population to go along with the Holocaust.

You get angry because this history is a bold reminder of the major fallacy of “the students are always right.”

Yes, the students are often right. But not always.

You buy into and promote conspiracy theories of Jewish power, not seeing the irony that as you are believing this, essentially the entire world is turning harshly against all Jews globally.

If Jews have so much power, wouldn’t we use our conspiracy to stifle all antisemitism and all denial of the Jewish state’s right to exist?

You tokenize Jews by citing Jews who happen to share your opinions about Jews and Israel, as if their Jewishness validates their opinions.

You would never do this for any group.

You do not cite Clarence Thomas’ opinion as justification for canceling of affirmative action.

You do not cite Amy Coney Barrett’s opinion as justification for overturning Roe v Wade.

But you gleefully cite Jews’ expression of opinions against the Jewish people and against the Jewish state’s right to exist.

You have not deplored Hamas’ systematic rape and mutilation of Israeli women.

We all supposedly agree that rape is bad, misogyny is bad, homophobia is bad, and bigotry is bad.

But when Jews are the targets of perpetrators of these horrors, you not only do not decry them, you pile on.

You invoke opinion numbers and percentages to defend all of this.

This is tyranny of the majority.

Of course by any metric of “popular opinion,” whether that be as expressed by the UN or by any other standard, a 0.2% minority of the world will always lose by a landslide.

You refuse to accept that we have profound compassion for the death and suffering of Gazans — unless we simultaneously declare that the State of Israel is a white, settler, colonialist, apartheid, genocidal entity that should be destroyed.

You read “land acknowledgements” about Native Americans, and somehow that precludes any need to call for return of Native American lands and dismantling of the United States.

But never do you suggest that reading of Palestinian land acknowledgements would be sufficient to allow the State of Israel to exist.

You point out correctly that hundreds of thousands of Arabs were displaced from their homes during the 1948 war, or “Nakba.”

But you do not acknowledge that simultaneously, hundreds of thousands of Jews were displaced from their homes in Arab states in North Africa and the Middle East.

What some Jewish Brookline residents think but don’t want to say to you is: You are stabbing us in the back. We have been advocates and allies for every progressive movement for decades.

And now because of a war and military actions over which we have zero control, you have turned against us viciously.

And in so doing, in betraying and hating your Jewish neighbors and peers, you have become precisely the extreme right wing that you claim to abhor.

Take this to your Jewish friends and ask them to be honest with you about whether any of the above resonates with them.

I promise you, it does.

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Rats here, rats there, rats everywhere! In one way or another, many of us in Brookline are dealing with a huge increase in the number of rats in our streets, parks, cars, and homes.

According to the Town’s statistics, rat sightings are up by 400%. Rats terrify and disgust residents as they infest houses and apartments, contaminate outdoor spaces with their feces and urine, spread disease, and cause thousands of dollars of damage by eating through foundations, wood structures, and wiring in buildings and cars.

Many of my neighbors have had rats come up through sewer pipes into their toilets, rats under their porches, and rats in their yards. Brookline rats come out during the day. One neighbor said that a rat always visited when they had their morning coffee outside.

A Harvard Street business was embarrassed recently when a rat ran into the shop as someone was holding the door open - this was a food purveyor. Yikes! I won’t go into the more horrible rat stories I’ve heard, but you should realize that large rat populations affect our quality of life. One of my neighbors moved away because he couldn’t keep the rats out of his house. Sad.

In response, two Brookline residents, Marilyn Rosenbaum and I, have started a petition urging Town Hall to deal with the problem by fully funding the Town’s Rodent Control Action Plan (RCAP), as prepared by the Health and Public Works Departments.

Don’t you think controlling rodent infestations, enforcing solid waste regulations, and managing the Town’s own trash in parks and public spaces are all part of a government’s basic responsibilities? We do and we hope you do too!

The RCAP begins to address the rat problem by hiring more staff for inspections and enforcement; purchasing more and better rat-proof trash bins; providing more public information on how to control rats; more frequent trash collection; devising and enforcing tougher regulations; and levying higher fines.

The petition begins with this statement:

“We the undersigned residents and merchants of Brookline urge the Select Board and Town Administrator to continue to address the rodent crisis by fully funding the town’s Rodent Control Action Pan (RCAP) and all other steps needed to solve the rodent crisis today, in FY2024 and beyond. No resident or business should suffer the health and quality of life consequences that large rodent populations bring. “

You can read and sign the petition by clicking on the following link:

https://fs4.formsite.com/E4qRKX/2tgf5z2tta/index.html

There is no one cause of the increased rat population, but rather a myriad of reasons that we are experiencing this problem - trash that isn’t in rat-proof bins; overflowing trash bins, which negates any of their rat-proofing properties; construction; increased outdoor recreating and dining at parks and restaurants; etc. We need funding and enforcement to address these causes.

The key to fighting the rat infestation is preventing the rats from finding food. Every expert tells us that rodents live and thrive near food. You can’t eliminate rats until you eliminate their food sources. Once that’s done, you have to reduce the rodent populations by treating their burrows. Surrounding towns are using rat birth control systems to limit rat populations. Brookline should consider that option.

COVID has affected the rodent crisis because so many of us were home instead of at school or work, and many of us dined outdoors or visited parks and open spaces to connect with people. As a result, we generated more trash, which overflowed from trash bins and dumpsters at home, on the street and in parks. Many individuals and businesses spent thousands of dollars a year on pest control. However, given the choice of donuts, bread or other yummy food scraps, rats often ignored bait traps. In my neighborhood, we call those black bait boxes ‘lawn ornaments’.

It’s hard to believe, but apartment buildings and businesses not using town sanitation services only have to store solid waste in rat-proof containers, but they don’t have to use rat-proof containers when they put their trash on the curb for pickup. More yummy rat buffets.

People often blame construction sites for rat activity, but they are only one part of the problem. All that noise and vibration can cause endemic rodent populations to move and those unoccupied spaces are perfect places to build rodent homes.

Because rats are home bodies who stay close to food, overpopulation areas are tiny. One end of a block can have rats everywhere, while the other end of the block has very few.

As a result, some neighborhoods are overrun with rats while others barely have any. Nobody should be complacent. You may not have rats now, but wait a while and see who moves onto your block. Even if rats don’t infest your neighborhood, you will probably encounter them or see evidence of their presence when you visit the town’s commercial areas, parks, and public places.

Brookline needs to step up and fight the rodent crisis. It’s more than just a single individual or business can fix. In November, Town Meeting almost unanimously approved a resolution that called for further efforts to fight the rat infestation, but that resolution did not appropriate funds.

I believe that the Select Board must prioritize our health and safety, and include funding for the RCAP in the FY2024 budget and not in a proposed Real Estate tax override.

Voice your support of this idea by signing the Rodent Mitigation Petition and contacting your Town Meeting Members, the Select Board members and Chas Carey, the Town Administrator.

You can read and sign the petition by clicking on the following link:

https://fs4.formsite.com/E4qRKX/2tgf5z2tta/index.html

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He has been communicative and helpful in Town Meeting, helping Town Meeting work with the State.   And he is responsive.  He has worked with neighbors to better control the negative impacts of NETA, the big marijuana shop in Brookline Village.

Tommy Vitolo has represented us well!   Please vote to keep him in the Legislature.

John Bassett

26 Searle Ave.

Brookline, MA 02445

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Good morning, my name is Kimberley Richardson.

When it comes to politics and voting in elections, many of us go to the polls and vote for who we like and some of us have been guilty of choosing candidates according to race and gender.

I know I have, but when you know better you do better.

Today I’ve come to say that if that’s how you’re voting in our State Rep election you have it all wrong.

Elections aren’t about friendships or who you like the most. Elections are about making sure you elect the right candidate for our community. Elections are about voting for the candidate whose track record proves and shows that they care about the community. Not only that they care about the community but they care about what’s best for the entire community not just those who are part of clique or are part of the good ole boys club.

As an employee of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts I’ve seen how the good ole boys clubs work to block the most deserving out of state jobs.

I’ve seen how the good old boys club have individuals removed from their positions because they refuse to play their game. I’ve seen how the good ole boys club refused to pass sufficient budgets necessary for organizations to operate.

We need to change the way the state operates. We need to vote for individuals who aren’t willing to compromise their character and will refuse to play the same old game.

Massachusetts has historically voted and passed laws with a good ole boys club mentality and it is time for US voters to stop doing what we’ve always done.

It is time for US voters to look at the needs of our community and the needs of our state and vote for candidates that care about those needs.

We the voters need to vote for progressive candidates who show and can prove that they are progressive not just say they are.

We need to reject candidates that use the word progressive but are not. I am not here to bash the opponent. I’m here to speak facts.

Raul Fernandez has shown us the facts.

Raul Fernandez has shown us that he is progressive.

Raul Fernandez has shown us how he fights for the most underserved in our community and he will show us how he will fight for us at the state house.

I urge you to cast your vote for Raul Fernandez because he’s proving himself a change maker who doesn’t mind calling others out when they are wrong, and he has definitely proven he is not a part of the good ole boys club.

In the spirit of Pride Month, it is time for the City of Boston and Boston University to re-name Silber Way, which is named after former Boston University president John Silber.

The Boston University Office of the President, Board of Trustees, Center for Anti-Racist Research, Boston City Council, and Boston Mayor’s Office could collectively come to a constructive outcome on this issue.

Mr. Silber demonstrated anti-gay beliefs, culminating in his elimination of the Gay-Straight Student Alliance at Boston University Academy, a private high school on the Boston University Campus.

Renaming anything often provokes long debate, but in this case there exists a powerful, easy, compromise solution: rename the street to "David J. Silber Way."

David J. Silber was John Silber's gay son who died at age 41 of AIDS at his parents’ home in Brookline in late December, 1994.

David J. Silber's tragic obituary is here:

David J. Silber, an actor who appeared in plays on and off Broadway as well as in several touring and regional theater productions, died on Thursday at his parents' home in Brookline, Mass. He was 41.

The cause was AIDS, said his mother, Kathryn.

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/01/obituaries/david-j-silber-theater-actor-41.html

According to the Buffalo Times, David J. Silber came to his parents’ home in Brookline for the final months of his life:

Buffalo News Obituary for David J. Silber

Had our world been more accepting of homosexuality, perhaps David Silber and others could have and would have had more open conversations about their sexuality, leading to earlier public discourse about the risks of HIV transmission.

Perhaps had our society been more accepting of homosexuality, David Silber would be alive today.

John Silber Eliminated the Gay-Straight Alliance at BU Academy

John Silber’s statement about the Gay-Straight Alliance at BU Academy, published online by Boston University Public Relations but since removed from the website, is below:

John Silber’s Views on Rape and Race Were Also Offensive and Anachronistic At Best

Silber’s views on rape were equally concerning. The Daily Free Press, Boston University’s student newspaper, reported Mr. Silber telling students, “If you want to stop rape, stop using the T. Don’t wander around late at night ... no city is absolutely safe.”

And regarding admissions of black undergraduates, The Daily Free Press reported Silber as saying, “If you have a black student whose qualifications are such that he can be accepted at BU, the fact is he is going to be offered a full ride at half a dozen schools, and that’s the problem.”

And further, “The Asian students don’t have any problem at all. They are backed by parents ... [who] push these students in a very rigorous way. [Blacks] do not get the kind of support and pushing by their parents to study.”

Boston University Today Claims a Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Boston University and the City of Boston have an easy and elegant solution to renaming Silber Way — simply adding “David J.” would make a powerful statement about values and acknowledgement of painful history that Boston University and the City of Boston must face in the present and moving forward.

Doing so would also be firmly in the spirit of Boston University’s stated commitment to Diversity & Inclusion and the university’s Diversity & Inclusion Progress report, which states:

It Is Time For David J. Silber Way

Renaming Silber Way to David J. Silber Way would be an important step in Boston University’s mission to become a more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive institution than was the case during the years of the Silber presidency.

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The current Town Meeting is debating the future of usable, accessible athletic field space in Brookline, and town recreational programs are at risk.

The Brookline Soccer Club supports Warrant Article 23, which calls for a study of field surface options considering all factors including use and environmental impact.

We strongly oppose Warrant Article 24 and other article amendments which call for immediate moratoria and/or restrictions on funding for synthetic turf fields.

Turf playing fields are an invaluable public health and recreation resource in our densely populated town. Grass fields cannot be used frequently, and must be closed when wet.

Any turf field that is reverted to grass will effectively remove usable recreation space from our town's supply - which will result in significant cuts to recreational and school-based athletic programs.

These programs are a critical part of our community's mental and physical well-being, and we should not be putting them at risk without the clear and careful study of the entire impact called for in Article 23.

Grass fields as maintained by our town present more injury risk than turf fields. Our fields are full of potholes, bare spots, rocks, and other hazards.

Comparisons to professional sports fields - frequently made by those who oppose synthetic turf - are not fair or apt.

A reduction in field supply is also an equity concern: accessible recreational programs will shrink, privileged families will find options away from Brookline, and others will be left behind.

For example, Brookline town soccer organizations offer quality programs for a fraction of the fee charged by out-of-town club soccer programs, as well as full financial aid for anyone needing assistance.

Of course we support Brookline’s current organic green spaces, but athletic playing fields are a different matter. They should be treated as a uniquely valuable resource.

Regards,

The Brookline Soccer Club Board

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A recent Boston Globe article by Kara Miller, The housing divide is pulling Massachusetts apart describes how Massachusetts is one of the most unequal states in the country, and that the skyrocketing prices of homes exacerbates the inequality; the wealthy buy homes whose value soars while the those that can’t afford homes pay ever-increasing rents.

Paying rent prevents saving for a down payment and causes renters to fall farther and farther behind home owners in accumulating wealth.

The core problem of why the price of housing keeps soaring over the long term (and recently even the Consumer Price Index is running above 8%) is that the authority on constructing homes “rests with current residents, who are generally not interested in adding a raft of new houses to [their] town”, according to the Globe article.

Brookline is a prime example of this sentiment, and it has a huge divide between the haves and have-nots; 50% of Brookline renters pay more than 30% of their income in rent; the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines these renters as cost-burdened, meaning that they do not have enough income after the rent to pay for other essentials.

Meanwhile, the median Brookline household income of $117,000 is nearly double that of the rest of the US  ($66,000) and over a third larger that that of Massachusetts ($84,000). Three of the wealthiest people in the US live in Brookline.

One way to address this divide is with the new state MBTA Communities law that requires MBTA towns like Brookline to adopt one zoning district that would allow multifamily housing to be built. Many towns are not following the law because of the small penalty of not following it.

The state is requiring Brookline to zone for at least 6,990 homes.

This target is important for Brookline considering how many of its residents are cost-burdened, but does not require the building of this many homes.  

The MBTA Community Law recognizes the shared responsibility for Brookline and others across the region to build homes.  

Moreover, contrary to misconceptions, the guidelines are a flexible tool that can plan around Brookline’s needs, with technical assistance available.

It is a fact the redlining and other discriminatory practices prevented People of Color from owning homes in Brookline.

Brookline can now leverage this new tool to build more equitable housing and undo harms of the past.

As a member of Abundant Housing MA, Brookline for Everyone, I urge the town to embrace the new law and its requirements.

Lisa Shatz 

Town Meeting member, Precinct 11

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With the Public Schools of Brookline closed today due to a strike by the Brookline Educators Union, many will suffer while none will gain.

The website for the Public Schools of Brookline displayed the following message this morning:

As recently as January 2022, the American Psychological Association wrote, “As the United States approaches 2 full years of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental illness and the demand for psychological services are at all-time highs—­especially among children.”

A March 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics concluded, “Between 2016 and 2020, there were significant increases in children’s diagnosed anxiety and depression, decreases in physical activity, and decreases in caregiver mental and emotional well-being and coping with parenting demands. After the onset of the pandemic specifically, there were significant year-over-year increases in children’s diagnosed behavioral or conduct problems, decreases in preventive medical care visits, increases in unmet health care needs, and increases in the proportion of young children whose parents quit, declined, or changed jobs because of child care problems.”

The Samaritans, who provide “lifesaving suicide prevention services throughout Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts”, offer support including specific resources for teens and parents, as well as a 24/7 help line:

If you are feeling suicidal, lonely, or depressed, we are here for you. Whatever the reason, you will get help from a trained volunteer offering nonjudgmental support. The 24/7 Helpline is confidential and free. You can call or text us any time at (877) 870-4673.

The Samaritans offer also guidelines about how to recognize risk factors in others and and what one can do if concerned about someone else.

The Public Schools of Brookline Negotiations FAQ offers the following:

Q: This is upsetting for my children. How can I talk with them about what is happening?

In general, situations that involve conflict can result in children feeling confused, angry, fearful, and sad. As children ask questions about the strike, encourage them to talk about their feelings. And as they do, validate what they are experiencing (e.g., “It makes sense that you feel that way.”).

Given the uncertainty of the moment, children will likely ask a variety of questions. Talking about the strike in developmentally-appropriate language and in a way that avoids blame is important. Below we offer some suggestions for talking to your child(ren) about the strike.

Some children might need help understanding what a strike is. Using children’s previous experiences with conflict might be helpful. For example, caregivers might offer to children that teachers and the school committee are having trouble agreeing on rules. Because of this disagreement, teachers have decided to strike, or stop working, until they agree on the rules.

Let children know that strike is not their fault. The decision to strike is not because their teachers/trusted adults don’t want to teach/support them, but because there is a disagreement with the rules/their contract. Relatedly, if children express anger and frustration about their teachers/supportive adults, remind them their teachers/supportive adults care deeply about them.

For younger students, sometimes less is more. Just as in a conflict between adults at home, it’s best not to allow children to be in the middle of the details. Consider saying something like, “The adults are having a disagreement right now. It’s important to know that you didn’t cause this and that no one is upset with you. Your teachers love you. The adults are trying to work it out, and I hope they will soon, but in the meantime, this is our plan as a family.” Then, explain how the day will go. This offers students reassurance that they are not at fault, and helps them see that their grown-ups are going to take care of them no matter what.

For older students, you might need to offer more context. You can explain that even when adults want the same thing (in this case a fantastic school experience for kids) sometimes they can’t agree on what that looks like or how to get there. Offer as much detail as you feel appropriate beyond that.

For middle school students, you might consider using this as an opportunity to have conversations about several complex issues, including Brookline Town Government (Town Meeting, Select Board, School Committee and the responsibilities of each), Proposition 2 ½, Contract Law, and the history of strikes and labor movements.

Acknowledge and be honest about the uncertainty of the moment. When children ask when the strike will end, let them know that you’re not sure, but that people are working really hard to end it. If children ask who is at fault for the disagreement or strike (or who is “right”), remind them that their teachers/the BEU and the School Committee are both working hard to make school a great place for them and their peers to learn.

Be honest about your own stress. You are likely having a lot of feelings about what is unfolding, and it can be important to say that to your child, so they don’t think you are upset with them. Examples might include: “You may see me stressed today and it's because I have to work, I need to know you're safe, I want you to be in school and I want fair schools for you.” or “Sometimes grown-ups don’t agree on things, and it can be uncomfortable for everyone. My job right now is to make sure you’re safe, and I’m going to do that, even if I seem upset.”

In February 2022, the National Education Association, describing itself as “the nation’s largest union representing nearly 3 million educators,” reported that “the massive staff shortages in America’s public schools are leaving educators increasingly burned out, with an alarming 55% of educators now indicating that they are ready to leave the profession they love earlier than planned.”

The NEA’s report included statistics that:

• 90% of members say feeling burned out is a serious problem (67% very serious). 

  • To address educator burnout, raising educator salaries receives the strongest support (96% support, 81% strongly support), followed by providing additional mental health support for students (94% support), hiring more teachers (93%), hiring more support staff (92%), and less paperwork (90%).

• 91% say that pandemic-related stress is a serious problem for educators.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that, “Burned out teachers are leaving the classroom for jobs in the private sector, where talent-hungry companies are hiring them—and often boosting their pay—to work in sales, software, healthcare and training, among other fields.”

The Alliance for Brookline Schools, a multi-group organization based on shared values and comprised of The Brookline Educators Union, the Brookline Parents Organization, Brookline Pax, and Citizens for Public Schools, has not posted any news, events, or School Committee endorsements on its website since 2018:

Brookline last approved an operating override of Proposition 2 1/2, providing increased tax revenue for the Town’s operating budget, including employee salaries, in 2018:

Voters rejected a “bundled” debt exclusion/tax increase for two new schools in the May 2019 municipal election, while subsequently approving a debt exclusion/tax increase for a single new school in December 2019.

Since then, there have been no tax increase ballot questions put to voters.

Only the Select Board can put a tax increase question on the ballot, with 3 of 5 Select Board member votes required for an override question to increase the Town’s operating budget, and 4 of 5 Select Board members required for a debt exclusion question, typically to fund school building projects, such as the proposed new Pierce School, for which the Town is seeking partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which has previously supported three school building projects in Brookline, with an MSBA reimbursement rate of about 40% for the projects’ aggregate budget of more than $150 million, according to the MSBA website.

According to the Pierce project’s Preferred Schematic Report, the proposed project is estimated to cost between $150 million and $200 million:

Today’s strike complicates the Select Board’s political and financial calculus in determining when and whether to place an operating override and/or a debt exclusion (to fund a new Pierce School) on a ballot question to voters in order to help the School Committee meet the Brookline Educators Union’s salary, scheduling, and staffing demands.

The Select Board meets next tomorrow, Tuesday, May 17, with announcements, updates, and public comment scheduled for approximately 6:00 pm:

Today is a profoundly sad and difficult day for Brookline.

With the threat of a strike looming, the Brookline Educators Union and Brookline School Committee must avert disaster by coming to an agreement on a contract immediately, and the community must rally, step up, and join together to save the Public Schools of Brookline from irreparable harm.

How did things get to this point?

This is a case of, “It’s a long story,” but key historical landmarks include:

• The enactment of Proposition 2 1/2 in 1980;

• The “Leominster Decision” by the MA Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) in 1982, declaring that MA School Committees can not set their own budgets.

• The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993;

• The 2016 Brookline Superintendent search and its “ed reform”-driven agenda;

• The policies of the Bott-Lummis administration from 2016-2021;

• Inflation running currently above 8%;

• Union seniority rules, i.e., “last-hired, first-fired”, that make BIPOC educators the first in line to be laid off when there are staff reductions, given the seniority demographics of the Brookline Educators Union;

• A conservative United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) that is likely to rule unconstitutional “affirmative action” in municipal hiring decisions;

• Growing taxpayer impatience and intolerance for tax increases;

• The expensive building projects at Brookline High School, the Driscoll School, and now proposed for the Pierce School, requiring tax increases for funding via “debt exclusions”.

• Charismatic, persuasive, and perhaps “radical” leadership of the Brookline Educators Union and the Mass Teachers Association, the perhaps inevitable response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 and the 2016 Brookline “ed reform” driven superintendent search, leading to the Bott-Lummis administration.

So how can Brookline avert a strike and move forward?

• Leadership of negotiations on all sides must step aside and make room for new faces and new voices, as there is too much ill will to expect progress at this point.

• This change in faces and voices should include changes in the School Committee negotiating team, the BEU negotiating team, and the School Committee’s attorney.

• The Brookline Educators Union must immediately stop any and all “job actions” in order to start to rebuild trust among parents and taxpayers.

• The Brookline Educators Union must not strike.

• The Select Board must move as soon as possible to put an operating override on the ballot to voters/taxpayers, so that these constituencies can state their opinions clearly on whether they are willing to increase their own taxes in order to help salaries for all Brookline employees keep pace with inflation, currently running above 8%, well above the 2.5% annual tax increase limit imposed by Proposition 2 1/2.

• Brookline’s representatives in the State Legislature, including both Sen. Cynthia Creem and Rep. Tommy Vitolo, must support tax reform state-wide, including repeal or modification of Proposition 2 1/2 as well as modifications to MGL Chapter 59, which currently does not allow municipal income taxes.

• Brookline voters must support the “Millionaire’s Tax” on the state-wide ballot this November, while being mindful that passage of this proposal could backfire and drive high earners out of state, especially given the new, dominant trend of “remote work,” making it easier for companies and/or employees to move out of state.

  ---

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Questions are always welcome.

In a time of rising inflation, with the Consumer Price Index running above 8%, one of the major defects of Proposition 2 1/2 is magnified.

The Consumer Price Index has not previously been above 8% since 1981,

By limiting property tax increases to 2 1/2% in the absence an override, Proposition 2 1/2 presents a large process barrier to Towns providing cost-of-living compensation adjustments to their employees.

While this tension is showing up most publicly in the current conflict between the School Committee and Brookline Educators Union, it applies equally to all Town employees, including those in the Police and Fire Departments as well as all other employees.

Placing an override question on the agenda for the Select Board is up to Chair Heather Hamilton, and deciding how to vote on whether to approve that question going to the voters is up to the members of the Select Board.

With three of five votes, the question will go to voters.

With fewer than three votes, the concept will end at the Select Board.

Questions of timing and substance are difficult.

When should the question be presented to voters?

Logical choices include times when there are already elections scheduled, which in 2022 means either September 6, the date of the Democratic Primary, or November 8, the MA general election.

However, there could also be a “special election” on a date other than those two.

The substance of the question is even more difficult.

How much should the override ask for?

What time period should it cover?

Should there be multiple choices of override amounts, as permissible under MA law?

Pyramid or Tier Overrides

A community may present a "pyramid" or “tier” override to the voters. A pyramid override asks voters to determine which, if any, of two or more funding levels they are willing to approve.

A separate override question is placed on the ballot for each funding level, with each question stating the same purpose purposes.

Tiered means that the purposes of a higher funding level include purposes in addition to the purposes of all lower funding levels. Any question is approved if a majority of the persons voting on that question voted "yes."

If more than one question is approved, the question specifying the highest dollar amount governs. This rule also applies where the questions are presented as alternative proposals to the voters.

What if the voters reject an override — will this harm the Select Board’s credibility?

Or will the Select Board in fact gain credibility by demonstrating the leadership and courage in letting voters decide, whatever the outcome?

Without a question put to voters, it is impossible to determine where voters stand.

Are a majority in favor or opposed? And at what levels of tax increase?

The only way to find out is to put the question to voters.

The Select Board meets next on Tuesday, May 17, with public comment scheduled for approximately 6:00 pm.

Members of the public can register to attend the meeting via Zoom and can also attend via Brookline Interactive Group.

Members of the public can submit comments to the Select Board by emailing: SelectBoard@brooklinema.gov.

Brookline is in a crisis, and it is time for decisiveness from leadership.

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But one thing never made sense to me - all the huge, single-family homes near the main arteries to Boston. Steps from Beacon or Comm Ave are houses with side yards, multi-car garages, and, beautiful, individual gardens. Something seemed amiss. Surely, denser housing would be more appropriate for an urban area. Fewer people would need to commute from afar, alleviating traffic and benefiting our environment. How could such expansive housing exist here? 

So, I did some research. Before the pandemic, I spent an afternoon in the Brookline public library main branch. I learned that Brookline’s zoning policies are set by Town Meeting and dictate what can be built where. Many areas are zoned as single family, meaning only houses for one family are allowed there. Denser housing is prohibited. The library also contains numerous housing plans, dating back decades, which include recommendations to improve housing in Brookline and lower costs, few of which were apparently ever implemented. 

However, I discovered there was also a much more sinister past to zoning and housing polices, much larger than Brookline. I watched the insightful video, Segregation by Design, which describes how local zoning laws were initially used to purposefully perpetuate the segregation of African Americans in the 1920s. Small towns across the country designed zoning laws to block people of color from living where white residents did not want them. 

These zoning policies were coupled with redlining maps to perpetuate inequity. Redlining maps were used by banks to determine where to give mortgages for houses and took the name ‘redlining’ from the literal red lines drawn around areas which were often predominantly of color. The actual redlined maps of Brookline have been digitized and made available online. They describe areas that have “Infiltration of Jewish” (sic), which likely depressed home values and may have ultimately led to more Jewish families moving here.   

What really brought this issue home to me, though, was what I found in the widely acclaimed book, The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein. The book describes the history of redlining in all its gory details. Though focusing on national issues, Rothstein includes a quote from the chair of Brookline’s first town planning board, Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr, son of the famous architect. Olmstead is quoted as saying “in any housing developments which are to succeed…racial divisions…have to be taken into account.” In other words, Olmstead was a segregationist, according to Rothstein. 

Though Olmsted worked for Brookline about 100 years ago, his impact is still felt today. His original zoning maps still serve as the basis for Brookline’s housing policies because it has been extremely difficult to change. For decades, zoning maps were nearly untouchable because changes required a staggering two-thirds vote of town meeting.

But this May 2022 election is an opportunity to turn it all around. Massachusetts recently lowered the threshold for zoning changes from two-thirds to a simple majority, which should facilitate changes to our outdated policies. Second, nearly every Town Meeting member in Brookline is up for election this year due to redistricting from the census. 

We can seize this opportunity. I urge everyone who wants equitable housing policies in Brookline to support the candidates endorsed by Brookline for Everyone (available here), a local pro-housing organization, of which I was a board member. 

Brookline’s housing policies are incommensurate with our progressive values. We must face this sordid history, not to point fingers, but to fix the discrimination of the past. This Tuesday’s election is a long-overdue opportunity for us to start here, locally. I hope we seize it.  

Eric Coles is a resident of Brookline’s Precinct 3.

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The Truth about Developers —

They are no different, better or worse, than anyone else.  Some are very good and very responsible, some are mediocre, and a few are rascals. 

That is also true of lawyers, bankers, legislators, business owners, restaurants, moms and dads, home-sellers, and the rest of us.

Many are profit motivated, which is the system we all live with, for better or worse.  They also work within a highly regulated system of rules and regulations that the public sets up, like almost every other business and profession.

In fact, in Brookline, and most of the cities and towns like ours in “coastal America” (which also happens to be “blue” America) it is so highly regulated that we have had historic underproduction of housing for the last 2-3 decades, causing the dramatic current mismatch of supply and demand up and down the East and West Coasts.

As citizens (of the Town and of the State), we set those rules and regulations, which is what we have been doing for over 100 years now with respect to zoning and building regulation.

We need to design them to get what we want.  If we want more affordable housing, or affordable local retail space, or tax-generating businesses (all of which I value), then we should provide more incentives for those uses.

If we want fewer uber-luxury apartments, then we should change the existing zoning to discourage them.

I think the good work of the Lower Boylston Study Committee, which resulted in upcoming Warrant Article 15, is a good example of how to go about that process.

Developers will build what we allow and incentivize.

If we make it hard to build larger multifamily buildings (which we do), they will go elsewhere, or focus on what they are allowed to build, which is to tear down a $1.5M single family home in a two-family zone and build two $2.5M condos in its place.

If we allowed more units on the same lot (for example, if it were a 4 family zone), but with no more building mass, we would get smaller and less expensive units (but still not affordable).

Blaming developers doesn’t help anyone.

What we need to do is to change our zoning to encourage the kind of housing we want, and also work to attract quality for-profit and nonprofit developers.

Right now, we are in the middle of a Housing Production Plan process that we expect to  give us guidance on how to do that, based on an extensive community participation process that has taken place so far and which is continuing.  

Jonathan Klein is a Town Meeting Member from Precinct 10, candidate for Town Meeting from Precinct 17 (due to redistricting), member of Brookline’s Housing Advisory Board, member of Brookline for Everyone, and member of Building a A Better Brookline.

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When the Brookline School Committee holds an emergency meeting this Sunday, March 20, to discuss recent racist incidents at Brookline High School and in the Brookline community, discussion of the upcoming US Open at The Country Club in Brookline might be part of the conversation.

This meeting will be broadcast via Zoom and is open to all members of the public and all members of the media. The link is below:

Link to Brookline School Committee Emergency Meeting on Racism

The recent events at Brookline High School have been documented with great skill by the talented writers at the high school’s newspaper, The Sagamore:

Link to The Sagamore Coverage of Recent Racist Events

In reaction to the recent racist incidents at the high school, students organized a walkout protesting the administration’s response. The demonstration followed the circulation of a recent controversial TikTok video and took place on March 16 at 11 a.m. during D-block.

The TikTok video rapidly spread among the student body on March 15. Within the next twenty four hours, a group of students organized a school-wide walkout. On March 16 at 11 a.m., several hundreds of students gathered with teachers and staff outside the STEM wing. Student organizers spoke to the crowd demanding apologies from administrators and speaking about their experience with racism at the high school.

Freshman Jaelyn Onuoha, who shares an honors English class with the person who created the TikTok video, spoke about her experience being pulled out of her English class to speak with administrators.

“Yesterday , I was taken out of C and D-block. The day before, on Monday, when the event sparked, I was taken out of G-block,” Onuoha said. “They asked us about what consequences we felt would be equitable for the racist student in the video. We were told that that student was going through a lot and needed our support.”

At a time of a budget crisis stretching the limits of the Town of Brookline’s ability to provide services for all of its residents, including seniors, students, those with physical disabilities, and the least affluent, including the many living in affordable, government-subsidized housing, the Select Board and School Committee can summon the courage to ask for financial support from the most able entity in the the town.

Brookline’s most prominent and exclusive social institution, The Country Club, host of the upcoming 2022 US Open, which will impose large costs on the Town in terms of congestion and environmental impact, has few members who are neither white nor Christian.

Requiring, as I understand it, at least seven personal — not professional — references from current members for a membership application for The Country Club to even be considered, the result is a de facto policy of perpetuating a membership that is almost entirely a private school, white, Christian demographic (which is largely Protestant rather than Catholic, despite the Boston area’s large Catholic population).

To be clear, as a “private club,” The Country Club is within its legal rights to use essentially whatever membership criteria it wants, including policies that would be illegal under federal law if The Country Club were a government institution or a “place of public accommodation."

See, e.g., the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution and MA Attorney General Maura Healey’s advisory on places of public accommodation.

In an infamous incident regarding membership, The Country Club rejected the application of the first Black Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, and his wife, Diane Patrick, as detailed in Governor Patrick’s memoir, A Reason to Believe.

Governor Patrick recounts:

Diane and I were invited to apply for membership in the Country Club, a venerable retreat in Brookline, Massachusetts, famous for its flawless golf course and its legacy of Brahmin members. I had visited a few times as a guest. But after garnering more “seconders” or endorsements, than any applicant in the history of the club, we learned we were blackballed. (pp 175-176).

It is generally understood that if you are not “the right type,” did not go to “the right schools”, and do not have “the right friends” — meaning at least seven current members of “TCC”, as members call it — you are not welcome.

The most likely route for non-white, non-Protestant people to “get into” The Country Club is via their employment postings:

Perhaps the highest profile, most comparable situation is that of Augusta National Golf Club, host of the prestigious Masters tournament, whose membership policies prohibited women until 2012, when Augusta admitted two prominent women as members.

And consistent with the exclusive tradition of golf in the United States, travel ticket packages to the upcoming, June 2022 event in Brookline start at more than $2,000 per person.

Yet despite The Country Club’s “exclusive” membership policies and use of massive amounts of land for wealthy, white Christians to play golf, the leadership of the Town of Brookline has rarely if ever raised the possibility of seeking some of that land, or even a financial contribution from The Country Club, for a supposedly much-needed 9th K-8 school or for any other use, including affordable housing, racial justice initiatives, and/or resources for seniors.

Short of taking land from The Country Club by eminent domain, which would be expensive, the Town of Brookline could, conceivably, consider changing the zoning laws for The Country Club’s district to uses that do not include “private golf club.”

But rather than ever considering asking The Country Club for material help, the Select Board instead aggressively went after land from Pine Manor college with the threat of eminent domain, proposed to raze acres of trees in South Brookline for a site, and tried to site a school in a location that would have displaced a preschool and had considerable, adverse environmental impacts — a proposal that included the “purchase” of several homes from frightened residents who almost certainly felt too intimidated to turn down “an offer they couldn’t refuse,” and some of whom were not proficient in English.

The Town leadership that never mentioned any consideration of seeking land or financial support from The Country Club included some of the same individuals who fired Black Brookline Firefighter Gerald Alston after his emotional reaction to hearing a colleague use the N-word, resulting in eventual agreement to an $11 million settlement.

Structured legally as a non-profit, The Country Club must file a Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service.

The 2019 filing reveals a variety of information, such as the organization’s “mission” of providing “services” to its members, including “golf, tennis, paddle tennis, skeet shooting, pond skating, curling, fine dining, swimming and fitness”:

Reported revenues were about $20 million for the year ending in September 2019, with top salaried employees including the General Manager and Director of Golf and Fitness, each earning total compensation in excess of $450,000.

Membership apparently consists of eleven different “classes”:

With a reported 1,338 members and membership dues totaling approximately $16 million, the average annual dues per member appear to be about $12,000.

Assuming many members to be part of families of four, and assuming further that some members pay lower-than-average dues in exchange for limited usage rights, that would equate to typical, annual family membership dues of about $48,000.

According to the Brookline Assessor’s Database, The Country Club, at 191 Clyde St., sits on more than 10 million square feet of land, or about 238 acres:

A new school in Brookline could be built extremely well on about 3 acres, or a little more than 1% of The Country Club’s land.

Yet through years of contentious battles over siting of a 9th K-8 school, neither the Select Board nor the School Committee ever even considered publicly seeking a few of The Country Club’s 238 acres for a site for a new school, choosing only to focus on some “expand in place” options and three “new site” options, all of which were mired in deep controversy:

Meanwhile, the Select Board and School Committee have remained content for years to let The Country Club enjoy exclusive use of its 238 acres for golf (as well as fine dining, tennis, and skeet shooting, among various other activities), assessed at more than $70 million, for the price of its annual property taxes of about $1.2 million, or about 6% of the Club’s annual budget:

And yet, the Town continues its years-long struggle about how to divide its revenues between the Public Schools of Brookline and other departments while presenting a picture of considerable financial stress:

Unfortunately, the FY 2023 Budget reflects modest revenue growth. This revenue growth is insufficient to meet the rate of increase in the Town’s fixed costs, never mind the ability to fund new investments and enhanced services…

…Based on expenditure projections and requests from the School Department that would increase their budget by 7.89% over FY 2022, available FY 2023 revenue allocated to the School Department is short by $5.8 million. Municipal departments are also limited in the allocation of revenue, creating a shortfall of $1.2 million. [emphasis added]

For the upcoming 2022 US Open, The Country Club offered a “volunteer” package to a limited number of Brookline residents, each of whom would have to work at least 20 hours for no pay while being required to purchase a $240 “Volunteer Package”, with the “offer” stating explicitly, “Volunteers will not be paid wages or compensated in any other manner in exchange for their volunteer activities”:

The Town of Brookline website presents this “volunteer” opportunity as “Brookline Comes First”:

In addition, the Town presents the 2022 US Open as an opportunity to “celebrate Brookline’s golfing history”, complete with a photograph of a white, male, Christian golfer:

While also touting the 1999 Ryder Cup, which took place at The Country Club, the Town website fails to acknowledge that at that infamous, 1999 event in Brookline:

The behavior of both U.S. spectators and the U.S. team was criticized by both American and European media.

U.S. spectators raucously heckled and abused European players. Allegations were also made regarding cheating on the part of course marshals.

Notoriously, the U.S. team raucously invaded the 17th green after [Justin] Leonard had holed his long putt but before [José Maria] Olazábal had attempted his shorter putt.

The incident was viewed by many in both the US and Europe as appalling sportsmanship.

Veteran broadcaster Alistair Cooke described the last day of the tournament as "a date that will live in infamy" in a Letter from America entitled "The arrival of the golf hooligan." [emphasis added]

A writer for The Guardian described the end of the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club as a “Day of shame that refuses to die:”

Sam Torrance, the successful Ryder Cup captain in 2002, was vice-captain at Brookline. The son of a professional, Bob, he was brought up "proper" in golfing terms, loving the game for all the right reasons. To say that he was horrified by the shenanigans of that final day is to put it mildly, as he explains in his autobiography, Sam.

"It was the most disgraceful and disgusting day in the history of professional golf," says Torrance. "The spectators behaved like animals and some of the American players, most notably Tom Lehman, acted like madmen."

Nonetheless, the Town Administrator’s July 2021 presentation to the Select Board regarding the “host agreement” between the Town and the United States Golf Association (USGA) resembles a promotional brochure for the event that presents little tangible, documented benefit to the Town.

The first five pages of the presentation are the following, and include the fact that the total prizes for golfers will be $12.5 million and television coverage is expected to exceed 75 hours with more than 95 million viewers in more than 190 countries:

Under Community Benefits, the presentation includes “Community values -- racial equity and environmental sustainability.”

The irony is stunning, given not only The Country Club’s “exclusive“ membership admissions practices, but also the fact that golf courses are well known to present considerable environmental harm.

As recently as December 2021, CNN wrote:

The 30 or so golf courses in the Salt Lake County of Utah drink up around nine million gallons of water a day to stay pristine green -- that's more than 13 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Managing the turf on golf courses also means using carbon-intensive fertilizers, plenty of mowing and, in many cases, clearing forests or trees that were soaking up carbon-dioxide to make way for long tracts of fairway.

In other words, golf is a dirty sport that's wrecking the planet. [emphasis added]

According to its 2020 audited financial statements, the USGA’s total revenues were about $492 million, with 75% of that, or about $369 million, coming from the US Open:

The USGA generates approximately 75% of its revenues from the U.S. Open. These revenues arise from various sources, including broadcast rights, ticket sales, hospitality sales, concessions, and merchandise sales.

Based on the increasing global TV audience for golf, it is reasonable to guess that the USGA will earn far more than $300 million from the upcoming US Open in Brookline.

Might the Brookline Select Board and School Committee ask The USGA and The Country Club to step up and help the Town with its financial struggles in the name of racial justice, environmental justice, and support for seniors, affordable housing, and Brookline’s less affluent residents?

Not so long ago, the USGA had an incident eerily reminiscent of some of Brookline’s latest racial justice controversies:

Golfer Tiger Woods has described a jibe aimed at him by Sergio Garcia as “wrong, hurtful and inappropriate,” though the world No. 1 insists he wants to move on from their very public war of words.

Garcia apologized to Woods after making a remark about the American at a players’ dinner ahead of the European Tour’s flagship tournament – the PGA Championship at Wentworth that starts Thursday.

Asked on stage whether he would be inviting Woods round for dinner during next month’s U.S. Open Garcia replied: “We’ll be having him round every night… and serving him fried chicken.”

The USGA has also discriminated against one of its golfers, Casey Martin, with a physical disability that led eventually to the amputation of his right leg.

In ruling in favor of Martin against the PGA Tour, the United States Supreme Court wrote:

Congress intended that an entity like the PGA not only give individualized attention to the handful of requests that it might receive from talented but disabled athletes for a modification or waiver of a rule to allow them access to the competition, but also carefully weigh the purpose, as well as the letter, of the rule before determining that no accommodation would be tolerable.

And the institution of golf, its many private clubs, and the USGA have been extremely slow to stop discrimination against women and Blacks, as a Sports Illustrated article explained in detail:

Private clubs have been valued over the years. Many have helped men and women build friendships and cultivate lasting personal and professional relationships. An organization being a “private club” should not automatically invite suspicion or scorn. Many private clubs forge meaningful bonds between well-intentioned people.

Some private clubs, however, have attracted serious controversy with respect to overtly discriminating membership policies. To that end, some denied memberships on the basis of ethnicity or religion, including rejection of applicants because they are Catholic, Jewish or Muslim. [emphasis added]

To be clear and fair, The Country Club does support The Brookline Youth Fund:

While $750,000 of awards are substantial and certainly should be acknowledged and appreciated, that has occurred over approximately 23 years, averaging about $32,000 per year, or about 0.1% of The Country Club’s annual budget, which appears to be in the vicinity of $20 million.

One wonders whether The Country Club might increase the contributions of The Brookline Youth Fund substantially.

And it might also be reasonable to request that some of the USGA’s apparent $300 million (or more) revenue from the upcoming US Open in Brookline go to increase the Brookline Youth Fund considerably.

Against the backdrop of ongoing bias and discrimination and a fiscal crisis in Brookline, will the Select Board or School Committee ever ask the USGA and/or The Country Club to do something for racial justice, seniors, public education, and other community needs in the Town of Brookline?

Or might The Country Club step up, unilaterally, without being asked, to do more for Brookline’s schools, underprivileged youth (including the hundreds of students who attend the Brookline schools via the METCO program), and those who live in Brookline’s affordable housing, such as High Street Veterans, Egmont St. Veterans, the Trustman Apartments, Kilgallon House, Connolly House, McCormick House, Walnut Street Apartments, Sussman House, the Kickham Apartments, and the Col. Floyd Apartments?

If not, why?

And if not now, when?

Please feel free to comment below and/or to forward this column to others who might find it interesting.

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Dear Town Meeting colleagues,

You may find the attached documents of interest - I was actually planning to send them to you even before Paul Warren asked about the budget :)  These were sent to the SB yesterday:

Budget documents

I would also draw your attention to last Thursday's presentation to the SC by Superintendent Guillory, particularly: 

(1) the language of the budget vote that the SC took (slide 12, on page 6) 

VOTED: the Superintendent’s preliminary budget is $130,619,874  and the Town allocation is currently $124,817,362. The School Committee will continue working with the Superintendent, Select Board, and Town Administrator to align these numbers through identification of additional revenues and efficiencies.

(2) the budget timeline (slide 2, on page 1).  

The timeline reflects that we are only about 1/3 of the way through budget season, with many updates to come.  One key update includes a revised FY23 budget book, ETA mid-March - this will refine the highly readable preliminary budget book that staff delivered on time in mid-January.  

More updates/discussion will be provided at upcoming meetings about the PSB budget, including SC, AC and SB meetings.  Some key upcoming meetings will be the SC Finance subcommittee "deep dives" -  so save the dates and check the Town calendar for registration links:

SC Finance: 2/23, 5-7pm - non-personnel expenses deep dive

SC Finance: 3/2, 5-7pm - personnel expenses deep dive

SC Finance: 3/16, 4-6pm - personnel expenses deep dive cont'd

To conclude:

1. There are a lot of moving parts to this budget - on both the revenues and expenses sides.

2. The budget is actively being managed and refined by PSB staff, including a truly impressive new Deputy Superintendent for Administration and Finance, Samuel Rippin.

3. There is a significant amount of process to come - both staff work and public engagement.  

4. I come to my role as finance chair with a philosophy of maximum transparency and an ideal of zero-based budgeting.  I encourage people to ask questions at meetings or by email - reach out to me, I'm happy to chat.  I'm also happy to attend any forums/meetings you would like to invite me to - we're not limited to the meetings of Town bodies.

Thanks,

Mariah P4 and SC